At the 2026 NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Clippers made two major moves, parting with veterans James Harden and Ivica Zubac. While the Harden trade brought back a younger guard in Darius Garland to help lead the next generation of Clippers basketball, the Zubac trade left a massive hole at the five spot. With no Zu, the Clippers were rolling out 37-year-old Brook Lopez and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser at the five until the 30th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft had a season-ending foot injury.
When Konan Niederhauser went down, it was clear the Clippers had a major center problem, especially in the match-ups against teams with more size than they had, like the Portland Trail Blazers. Having Lopez be the team’s main force on the boards was already going to be a nightmare, given that he’s never had the reputation as some force on the glass, and then, when you factor in his age, it’s curtains.
Thankfully for the Clippers, a very obvious solution is emerging during Round 1 of this postseason and from a familiar place. Robert Williams has been a beast through the Blazers’ first two games against the Spurs and is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer.
Considering LA is in need of a shot blocking, play-finishing rebounder, Williams could be a perfect target for Lawrence Frank and the front office in the offseason.
Williams Is the Solution the Clippers Have Been Searching For
Through Portland’s two playoff games, Williams has averaged 11.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 blocks while converting at a 76.9 percent clip from the field. Williams had the game-sealing and-one against the Spurs in Game 2 to help the Blazers tie the series at one apiece.
All season, Williams has slowly started to look like the rising young big man he was in Boston before injuries. After spending almost three straight seasons watching from the sidelines, seeing Williams return to a high-level contributor is massive for him and should intrigue LA.
At one point during his time with the Celtics, many viewed Williams as a top-ten center, as he finished top seven in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2021-22. While he doesn’t have the same athletic pop he once had, his instincts, especially defensively, have only gotten stronger.
Another interesting note to make about Williams is that as the season has progressed, he is growing more comfortable shooting threes. In the regular season, he only attempted a total of 23 threes while shooting 39.1 percent from deep. But in two postseason games, he’s taken five threes and connected on a 40 percent clip.
LA clearly has its center of the future in Konan Niederhauser, as he flashed incredible potential and upside to develop into a two-way beast.
That being said, tasking him with being a starter this early in his career may set him up for failure, and with cap space available, bringing in a bridge center could be the right approach. With Robert Williams set to hit free agency for the first time in his career, the Clippers’ offering him a two- or three-year deal this summer could be a brilliant move.
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